CUCC President Roger Knight's India report
Monday 15 February 2010
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard, was visiting alumni in India at the beginning of January and it was suggested that an accompanying tour by the Cambridge University Cricket Club would be well received. This was an opportunity not to be missed for fourteen cricketers, a coach and a tour manager. What made it all possible was the very generous sponsorship by Dr Yusuf Hamied, the chairman of CIPLA, his own pharmaceutical company. Dr Hamied had been at Cambridge at the same time as Tony Lewis the former England cricket captain and they were both able to watch some of the cricket and to meet the team, as did the Vice Chancellor’s party.
A tour itinerary was hastily put together by Sachin Bajaj, the founder of the Global Cricket School who lives in Mumbai, but who organises many coaching courses in India for county, club and school cricketers. He organised accommodation and fixtures and on Thursday 7th January the team arrived in Delhi, leaving behind the ice and snow in the UK.
That same evening the first match, a Twenty20, took place with the High Commission team under floodlights. The floodlights were poor in the dusk and the dark, the seasonal fog made matters worse and seeing anything from the boundaries was almost impossible for fielders and spectators alike. Despite that handicap the CUCC team held on to a number of good catches when the ball was skied. The match was won by seventy runs and several of the team had the chance to bat against some friendly club bowling and bowl without too much pressure. The hospitality back at the High Commission bar was warm and friendly and it seemed to have been a long day by the time the coach arrived back at the Ashok Country Resort at about 11.00pm
The following day the team had an early start to travel from the hotel in South West Delhi to St Stephen’s College Ground in North Delhi to play a Delhi and District Cricket Association XI. Yet again there was thick mist and fog and it was cold. There was no chance of starting on time because of the fog but eventually it was agreed to reduce the match to another Twenty20 and start at 12.30pm. Disappointingly CUCC batted poorly, only scored 114 and the match was lost by six wickets, though there were a couple of moments in the DDCA innings when they might have been restricted to fewer runs.
The game against Roshanara Cricket Club was less disturbed by fog, although the weather was still cold. CUCC batted first and four batsmen started well without any of them dominating the attack or going on to a big score. The innings lost momentum on a couple of occasions and CUCC scored about thirty runs too few, ending on 205 for 6. After a disastrous start, with numerous wide deliveries, the team was always on the back foot, although the bowlers did manage to claw their way back into the game, until a big left hander put the result out of doubt, striking the ball well, both straight and over wide mid on. The match was lost by six wickets; the second loss to a team which was no better than CUCC and could have been beaten.
The reception with the Vice Chancellor afterwards was well organised and the team mingled well. There were speeches and a buffet and the Cambridge alumni were welcoming and interested to meet the present-day students.
The trip from Delhi to Mumbai saw a considerable rise in temperature, better grounds and a real opportunity for the team to experience Indian playing conditions. Two matches were played at Bombay Gymkhana Ground, the venue for the first Test Match ever played on Indian soil, one was played at the Brabourne Stadium, the home of the Cricket Club of India and an international match venue, and the other game was played at the Mumbai Cricket Association Recreation Ground, where Sachin Tendulkar was having a short practice net in the background.
These were all impressive grounds with excellent facilities and the cricket was always close. It was disappointing that Bombay University chose to treat their fixture as a practice game. They played fourteen players, despite the CUCC’s captain’s insistence, rightly, that this had not been agreed before the start and therefore should not have been allowed by the umpires. This game was also shortened from a two-day match to a one-day game, so it was necessary to arrange another fixture for the second day, which was achieved by playing Nirlon CC at the Bombay Gymkhana Ground. The game with Bombay University saw two large scores and some good striking of the ball. It would have been good to have seen a competitive match because the two squads looked reasonably well matched.
Nirlon CC were beaten and after the match there was plenty of time to spend at CCI, where the team swam and went to the gym before being treated to a meal by Sachin Bajaj at the Pool Café.
The CCI team had one or two really good players, but the remainder were not outstanding. CUCC batted first and should have scored 15 or so more runs. 217 was always a few too many short of the target. Once again batsmen played themselves in and then failed to go on past fifty, although the CCI bowling was not very penetrative. This inability to make large scores was one of the abiding memories of the tour and always put the bowlers under pressure.
The CCI innings was led by a batsman who paced his innings very well and, although CUCC had moments when they were able to put some pressure on the batsmen, the main batsman guided them home by six wickets with one over to spare in a 40-over match.
This match was the first attended by Dr Yusuf Hamied, Tony and Joan Lewis. Yusuf and Tony greeted the CUCC players, who responded very well indeed.
After the match CUCC beat a pair of CCI snooker players (in a handicap contest) and there was an excellent reception, courtesy of Sachin Bajaj, who presented the Raj Singh Dungapur Scholarship for a CUCC player to come to the Global Cricket School for coaching annually with all costs, except flights, paid.
The final match against Bombay Gymkhana, who were the strongest opponents of the tour by some distance, took place at the Gymkhana ground. They had a solid bowling attack of five good bowlers, including a Rajasthan Royals quick bowler who was coming back from changing his action and so did not bowl at full pace. There was also a good opening bowler who swung the ball both ways, a promising new recruit from Kashmir and the nephew of Mike Brearley’s wife, who plays as a contracted overseas player in England. Even the captain, as the sixth bowler, was a wily off-spinner.
CUCC managed to reach 174 for 7, but this was another situation where batsmen got in and could not continue. CUCC lost convincingly by 8 wickets when an explosive opening batsman hit several boundaries on a good even-paced pitch
After this match was the second reception with the Vice Chancellor. This was hosted by the President of the Cambridge University Alumni and took the form of speeches by the President, the Vice Chancellor, the Tour Manager and Dr Hamied and a Question & Answer session with the gathered alumni. Once again there was the opportunity for the alumni to meet the CUCC touring party over a buffet supper.
The tour was a marvellous experience for all the players. It gave them the chance to play in different conditions against players, for the most part, of the same standard. It also provided an opportunity for the captain and coach to see how the cricketers reacted in pressure situations. Off the field they were all excellent ambassadors for the university and a pleasure to be with. On the field, there were many encouraging signs of talent, but throughout the tour the team struggled to score enough runs. The bowling was not strong as a unit, although at times one or other of the bowlers did manage to give the captain an element of control. Generally there was not sufficient consistency and so more games were lost than won.
The captain grew in confidence and stature during the tour and there were signs of a growing team spirit, which should be helpful in the summer term’s fixtures. This winter tour was an excellent experience and, thanks to CIPLA’s and Dr Hamied’s generosity, fourteen players, a coach and a tour manager had a most enjoyable ten days in India.
Roger Knight
President of CUCC and Tour Manager
